Glossary
Our glossary defines potentially new scientific or other terms to students. Glossary words are appear in bold in our resources.
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a as in ape
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ä as in car
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e as in me
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i as in ice
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o as in go
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ô as in for
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u as in use
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ü as in fur
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oo as in tool
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ng as in sting
O
organic carbon
(ȯr ga nik kär bǝn): Carbon that comes from a living or once-living organism.
organic matter
(ȯr ga nik mat ǝr): A substance that is made from living things.
organism
(ȯr gǝ ni zǝm): An individual living thing that carries on the activities of life by means of organs which have separate functions but are dependent on each other: a living person, plant, or animal.
orientation
(ȯr ē ən tā shən): Position or direction relative to other points or directions.
original
(ə ri jə nəl): Earliest or first.
ornithologist
(ȯr nə thä lə jist): A scientist who studies birds.
oscillation
(ä sə lā shən): Variation or fluctuation.
outdoor recreation
(au̇t dȯr re krē ā shǝn): Activities done outside for fun, such as hiking, boating, or playing baseball.
overabundance
(ō vər ə bən dən(t)s): A large surplus; excess.
overstory
(ō vər stȯr ē): The layer of tree leaves and foliage in the tree canopy.
oxbow
(äks bō): Something (such as a bend in a river) resembling an oxbow, which is a U-shaped frame forming a collar about an ox's neck and holding the yoke in place.
oxygen
ozone
(ō zōn): A form of oxygen that is a bluish, irritating, sharp-smelling gas containing three atoms per molecule, and that is used especially in disinfecting, deodorizing, and bleaching.
ozone layer
(ō zōn lā ər): A layer of the Earth's atmosphere at heights of about 20 to 30 miles (32 to 48 kilometers) that is normally characterized by high ozone content which blocks most of the sun's ultraviolet radiation from entry into the lower atmosphere.
P
paleontologist
(pā lē än tä lə jist): A scientist who studies the life of past geological periods as known from fossil remains.
parasitic
(per ə si tik): Of or relating to parasites or their way of life; being a parasite, which is an organism living in, on, or with another organism in order to obtain nutrients, grow, or multiply often in a state that directly or indirectly harms the host.
partial
(pär shul): Of a part, or in only a part.
particle accelerator
(pär ti kəl ik sel ə rāt ər): A device that is used to give high velocities to charged particles (as electrons and protons).
passive
(pa siv): Existing or occurring without being active.
patent
(pat ent): A document giving the exclusive right to make, use, or sell an invention for a number of years.